Herman the Legal Labrador is something refreshing. A postmodern, ironic, adult-oriented cartoon that doesn't rely on gross-out humour, violence or edgy satire. Instead it relies on gentle absurdity, delivered with great comic timing, and in a very dry, understated Australian style. Consequently there aren't that many belly laughs in this short film. Rather it has a cumulative ridiculousness that permeates the whole thing. Sure, there are funny bits, but it's the way in which everything funny is just taken for granted by the characters which makes it work.

For example, Herman is a completely normal, not very anthropomorphised dog who looks a bit like Snoopy. He also just happens to be a defense attorney. Despite the fact that he doesn't speak. He irons his own pants and wears them to court (which looks utterly ridiculous, but nobody seems to notice. They just hang off his back half, making him look sort of like a seal.) In court he simply barks, but everybody appears to understand him, as if he were making some complex legal statement.

His 'owner' is a frustrated writer who is depressed about his girlfriend leaving him, and who is trying to write a novel called 'Hell-Cake Goes Back in Time' (I think). His client is up on a trumped up assault charge which involves a sinister prosecuting attorney. There is also a bulldog who appears at the end of the court case in a scene which reminds me of Donald Sutherland in 'A Time to Kill' (which BTW is nearly as funny as this film. I mean the KKK marching down the road and... ok, nevermind)

A very impressive and fun short. The comic timing reminded me of South Park, though nothing else about it did. Herman's trousers remind me of something... something from the dim vaults of my comic book memory, but I'm not sure what, and I might be imagining it. The humour style reminds me a little of some of the comic strips National Lampoon used to print back in the early 70's when they were still funny. It achieves its laughs by presenting the utterly ridiculous with a straight face.

This film is playing at a few festivals in the US at the moment. Hopefully it will end up compiled on something, or the filmaker will put it out himself. Good stuff. Watch out for it.